Which PCI cards have been tested working in MOS? And of those, do any also work with OSX and support booting?

[ Edited by Dreamcast270mhz on 2011/3/27 0:36 ]

SiI3x1x two-port SATA PCI controller cards. But I don't know if these work in Macs yet (let alone boot).

There's no SATA support in MorphOS for Powermacs yet. My Sonnet Tempo card is waiting, too.

> Which PCI cards have been tested working in MOS?

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7760&forum=38&post_id=82186#82186

Dang!

Quote:

From what Andreas posted, SATA support looks imminent.
If its going to be part of 2.8 we shouldn't have much longer to wait.

Personally, I hope we see SCSI controller supported. I've got a couple.

> I hope we see SCSI controller supported.

As I understand it, support for SCSI cards will come no later (and no sooner) than support for SATA cards as the technical reason they are not working currently is the same for both.

I remember the developers making that comment, but ?I wasn't sure if they'd get both types of controllers working or focus on the one that's more likely to be popular (SATA).

Quote:

If/When those SCSI controllers are supported from MorphOS2.x, if you will sell one of your 2 SCSI controllers and they work in a MDD G4 PowerMac, I want to be first in line to purchase one from you.

If they both still work you can have one David.
I don't see why a controller that would function in a Quicksilver under Ubuntu wouldn't work in an MDD.

> From what Andreas posted, SATA support looks imminent.
> If its going to be part of 2.8 we shouldn't have much longer to wait.

From today:

"2.8 is nowhere close to a release"
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6042&forum=11&start=54

I thought 2.8 wasn't going to support Powerbooks.
If PCMCIA support (which shouldn't be a part of 2.8) isn't holding them up, any idea of what their having problems with?

> I thought 2.8 wasn't going to support Powerbooks.

Yes, as far as I'm aware that didn't change. But I don't understand why you mention PowerBook support now. Neither jacadcaps nor me referred to that.

> any idea of what their having problems with?

No. I'm not even sure that there're any "problems" they've with whatever is supposed to constitute the 2.8 release. It could just be that development takes time, as usual.

Quote:

Only because jacadcaps is referring to PCMCIA support, but then not as an impediment to releasing 2.8.
So, apparently there are other issues, unresolved problems, or features they haven't finished.

All we have to go on is "2.8 is nowhere close to a release".

> Only because jacadcaps is referring to PCMCIA support

That was in reference to support for the PowerMac G4's (except FW800 model's) AirPort slot, which is mechanically PCMCIA*. Nothing to do with PowerBooks (they've PCMCIA too but that's not what jacadcaps referred to in that posting).

* https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6042&forum=11&post_id=82557#82557

> apparently there are other issues, unresolved problems,
> or features they haven't finished.

Yes, obviously, else 2.8 would have been released already ;-)

>That was in reference to support for the PowerMac G4's (except FW800 model's) AirPort slot, which is mechanically PCMCIA*. Nothing to do with PowerBooks (they've PCMCIA too but that's not what jacadcaps referred to in that posting).

Odd, since that reference you point to contains the following.

>So, no PCMCIA cards are electronically compatible with the Airport slot,

So if its only mechanical similar, but not electronically compatible with PCMCIA cards, why are people still asking about PCMCIA drivers for G4 Powermacs and why isn't jacadcaps correcting their misconception?

Edit - I guess it isn't fair to ask you what jacadcaps was thinking when he addressed that post that way. Disregard the question unless he would care to offer his own comments.

[ Edited by Jim on 2011/3/31 20:13 ]

> if its only mechanical similar, but not electronically compatible
> with PCMCIA cards, why are people still asking about PCMCIA
> drivers for G4 Powermacs

Because the only electrical difference are some pins that Apple permuted on purpose. Of course, that small hardware change would require a small change to the existing driver:

"The driver would need to be modified first, but it wouldn't be huge job. The original Airport card uses a Prism-II chipset too."
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showpost.php?p=623976

Technically you're correct though. The small hardware change Apple applied effectively renders AirPort non-PCMCIA.

Now that is intereting1 Do you think a driver tweak would be enough?
And what PCMCIA cards might a G4 running MorphOS use?
I assume most of them would also require drivers.

Every time I see an issue like this it makes me appreciate how much work the team performs just getting the hardware to work (and this would actually make it do MORE than Apple intended).
Very Cool.

> Do you think a driver tweak would be enough?

That's what the driver's author says (see the quote). Who am I to disagree with him?

> what PCMCIA cards might a G4 running MorphOS use?

The AirPort slot of the PowerMac G4 (except FW800 model) can use Apple's original AirPort card of course, that's what it's intended for after all. Besides, there seem to be some unofficial solutions:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6042&forum=11&post_id=82673#82673

> I assume most of them would also require drivers.

Drivers are *always* required of course. Luckily, the Prism2 driver for PCMCIA is already there for years, even MorphOS native:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7777&forum=11&post_id=82510#82510

It's just that this driver would need some modifications adapting the hardware modifications Apple applied to turn PCMCIA into what became AirPort.

> Every time I see an issue like this it makes me appreciate how much
> work the team performs just getting the hardware to work

While I very much appreciate the MorphOS Team's work as well, in this particular case they're not involved so far, and judging from what jacadcaps said it seems they're going to restrict themselves to "un-blacklisting" of device level access to the AirPort slot.

> this would actually make it do MORE than Apple intended

How so?

>> this would actually make it do MORE than Apple intended

>How so?

Obviously none at all if they limit it to use with the Prism2 driver.

> Obviously none at all if they limit it to use with the Prism2 driver.

Another driver wouldn't make sense anyway for AirPort, unless you know non-Prism2 cards that are electrically compatible with AirPort. But even if there were such cards there would be no reason to think that they couldn't have been used with MacOS already.

Sorry, I'm over thinking this. Wouldn't it just be easier to plug a PCI card with a supported driver in?

> Wouldn't it just be easier to plug a PCI card with a supported driver in?

On a PowerMac yes. Driver for Prism2 card in PCI is there for years, as said, and it wouldn't even need any modification.

OK, I'm out of expansion slots if SCSI support for Powermacs is introduced so I can sort of see a reason for wanting this.
Although I just use a hard wired connection (as its faster).

[ Edited by Jim on 2011/3/31 21:55 ]

[ Edited by Jim 03.04.2011 - 04:37 ]

My slots are also all full, if I decide to keep dual booting and keep the Avid Meridian audio/video editing hardware. Since Neil Cafferkey is willing to do the work for the receipt of bounty money, I don't understand any resistance to this idea. If you don't support the idea, don't donate anything to the bounty. If you do want support for original Airport cards installed in the original Airport card slot, then donate to the bounty when it is set up. Simple!